Unlikely Escape
by Louise North
Summary: Post HBP, Draco is punished and cast out by his father and the Death Eaters for his failure to kill Dumbledore, the only one he can turn to for help is Harry Potter. Will be slash in later chapters. Contains violence.
1. Chapter 1

_Authors note: this is the first fic I've written that has actually had a plot and I've got a good feeling about it so please let me know what you think. I haven't got a beta as of yet but I'm working on it so please excuse my over-enthusiastic use of commas and italics. Feel free to point out any mistakes I may have made and I'm perfectly open to constructive criticism. _

_Disclaimer: characters not mine, obviously. Don't sue me._

_Warning: torture and later chapters will contain slash_

Draco ran faster than he had ever run in his life, the cold night air tore at his body which seemed to be screaming in protest, every breath seemed to shred his lungs. Finally they reached the gates, he flung himself forward as he felt Snape's hand grab his arm and then they were traveling through the air, his insides compressing inside his stomach, he was going to faint, he was going to be sick…

As it turned out he did both. He awoke in a spare room at the Manor covered in his own vomit. His hands were still shaking, his mouth tasted of stale sick, he wasn't sure how long he had been there. He tried the door, locked. Someone had taken his wand, he paced around the room for what felt like hours before curling up as small as possible in the corner, and somehow this made him feel safer.

He had failed. _Failed._ Malfoys did not fail, but he had, he had failed his family, failed the Dark Lord, and they were _not_ going to be happy about it. He had no idea how long he sat in the corner shivering but it seemed like days. Maybe even weeks. Sooner than he had expected his father was stepping into the room, wrinkling his nose distastefully.

"Draco Draco Draco" he said in that cold, menacing voice, shaking his head. Draco looked up at his father, Azkaban had not been kind to him, his cheeks were hollow and his eyes, his eyes were so cold and empty. But back in his expensive robes and Dragon-hide boots Lucius Malfoy was still a very intimidating figure. Draco cowered in his corner, attempting to shrink even further into himself, he had been dreading this moment. His father approached him, slowly, his face twisting into a terrifyingly cruel expression. "Such a _disappointment_" he said in little more than a whisper. "I am afraid Draco that this simply cannot be allowed." He saw his father draw his wand as if in slow motion, watched his cruel mouth form the words and then there was pain, it was like his body was being torn apart and then smashed back together again. He screamed, writhing in agony, it was a scream of someone who is completely broken, it was as though his very soul was screaming. He screamed and screamed, but he did not cry.

His father came back day after day, sometimes there were other Death Eaters too, they would not let him see his Mother. They called him a failure, called him a traitor, they spat at him, they tortured him. It was not always Crucio. By the end of the week Draco's back was a web of deep slashes, his arms and legs were bruised and twisted, both his eyes were blackened. All his fingers were broken as well as his left wrist. Sometimes they would heal them and break them again. Draco blocked out the details, by the end of the day he could not remember who he had seen or what they had done but he still felt the pain. It coursed through his body like fire, it ran in his veins, ever so slowly consuming his body and his mind.

By the time Voldemort came Draco thought he was probably more than a little unhinged. Torture will do that to you. It must be a Death Eater meeting he thought, the Dark Lord was highly unlikely to come to the Manor for a social call. He heard the high cold voice ring through the house; "Bring down the traitor". He whimpered, preparing himself for the worst. By the time they had dragged him down to the hall where the ring of Death Eaters stood he was shaking violently, tears coursing down his cheeks. This was the first time he had let himself cry since the night Dumbledore died.

He didn't know what was happening but he was sure Voldemort was doing it. The pain seared every nerve and every cell in his body. It was beyond agony, the pain burnt like fire but Draco could feel the emotion behind it, seeping from the pores of every Death Eater, especially his father, and it was like icy daggers piercing every inch of his skin. He awoke hours later, alone, his body a crumpled heap in the middle of the room. Words that he couldn't remember hearing rang in his ears "You are no longer my son". He looked down at his inner arm, where he had been marked. The mark was still there but blood flowed from it, he closed his eyes and just felt the warm trickle down his arm onto the floor as he clutched it to his chest.

Narcissa Malfoy crept silently into the room and looked down on her unconscious son. He lay bruised, broken and bleeding. He was even thinner than usual, ribs jutted out and his whole body was a patchwork of cuts and bruises. She too was sporting a violet bruise on her cheek, she had refused to torture her son and she had paid the price.

"Draco" she whispered, shaking him urgently. He stirred and peered at her through swollen eyes. "Come on, up you get", she led him across to the room and pointed her wand at the floor where a trapdoor appeared. She opened it and helped him into the passage below. "Draco you have to escape, they'll kill you… they'll kill you… I won't let that happen! Run, just run. Get away from them, as far away as you can, I love you". With this she kissed him on the cheek and forced a wand into his hand before pushing him forward into the passageway and charming it shut.

Darkness closed in around him and Draco began to scrabble forward through the passage, feeling the walls. He stumbled more than once but did not light his wand, he did not what spells there might be on this old tunnel and he did not want to alert anyone of his presence.

He didn't know how long he walked, well, staggered for, in the past few days (or weeks, who knew?) he had lost all sense of time, this was one of the reasons for his strong suspicions he had a screw or two in his head loose. When he finally emerged it was very early in the morning, it was misty and a watery sunlight lit his surroundings. He was on the other side of a muggle village several miles from the Manor.

Draco felt lost, in the tunnel he'd had a purpose: get to the end of the tunnel. That was simple enough, but now he had no solid plan. He had nowhere to go, all his friends would turn him over the Death Eaters before you could say 'Crucio'. There was no one he could turn to, Dumbledore was dead, Snape was a Death Eater and he didn't know any of the other teachers. In fact he didn't really know anyone who wasn't on the dark side, apart from…Harry Potter. No, that would never work. Potter would never help _him_. He'd been the reason for Dumbledore's death. He'd tormented Harry for years. He was a Death Eater, or rather, he had been. But there was no one else and if he didn't move they'd find him and kill him, basically it was Potter or death. Right then, Potter it had to be. Draco set off with a new determination. For some reason he knew Potter's address, he wasn't sure why since he couldn't recall anyone ever telling him. He knew Surrey wasn't many miles from the Manor, it was just dawn now, about 5 o'clock, he could probably make it there by morning. He set off purposefully, albeit wincing a little and stumbling every now and then, in the direction he hoped was south, praying that he would be able to make it without passing out from the pain, praying that Harry Potter might have a fit of madness and have mercy on him.

It was about 7 o'clock in the morning when Draco made it to Privet Drive, he had been in the area since about 6 but had got very lost trying to find the unremarkable cul-de-sac were the Dursleys resided. He staggered across the neatly manicured lawn, the long hard walk had opened up old wounds and his tattered shirt was soaked with blood, his feet were bleeding too since he had no shoes. He knew now that Harry was mere meters away from him, but he had no way of reaching him, he couldn't use magic, this was a muggle neighborhood, and he certainly couldn't just ring the doorbell. He didn't know which window was Harry's but he just had a sort of _feeling_ that it was the one at the back of the house, on the left. This was probably something to do with the fact that he had gone a little bit mad, but he went with this feeling none the less. He hobbled around to that side of the building and stared forlornly up at the window wondering how on earth he was going to manage to get up there with no magic and a broken wrist.

After about 10 minutes of staring at the window, willing Harry's face to appear he decided there was nothing else for it, he was going to have to climb, broken wrist or no. He traced his path with his eyes, from the bin… onto the windowsill… up the drainpipe then from the roof of the conservatory he would be able to reach Harry's window. He hesitantly clambered onto the bin, trying his best to be silent, he reached out and held onto the drainpipe with his good hand to steady himself as he edged across the windowsill. Still hanging onto the drainpipe as best he could with only one useful hand, though even that had broken fingers, he adjusted his body to climb up to the window. He gripped the pipe with his legs and hung on with his forearms, since his hands weren't doing much good. Praying it would hold his weight he gradually shimmied up the pipe. Although the pipe groaned and creaked in protest Draco managed to reach the top of the conservatory. He collapsed onto the glass roof, panting, his bruised limbs were aching from what he had just put them through and bleeding again from gripping the sharp guttering. He managed to drag himself across to the window, he looked through the open curtains to see, thank Merlin, a sleeping Harry Potter. Draco would never have thought he would be so pleased to see Potter in his entire life.

"Potter" he croaked, his voice hoarse from screaming, "Potter… Harry… please, please wake up". He tapped delicately on the window, willing the boy on the other side of the glass to wake up.

Harry awoke to a soft tapping on his window, at first he thought it was part of his dreams o he simply snuggled deeper into the warm cocoon of his bed. The tapping grew louder and more insistent, he cracked open a bleary eye and tried to focus on the face at his window, hang on… face… window… that's not right. He jolted up, pressing his own face to the window and peering groggily at the face on the other side of the glass. The face was pale, very pale, but the white skin was mostly hidden under cuts and purple bruises, the hair was white-blonde under dried blood, grey eyes peered anxiously. Malfoy. "You!" he hissed, he would have shouted if he hadn't been worried about waking the Dursleys up. If he wasn't shocked enough at finding Draco Malfoy at his window he was even more surprised at the state he was in. The ever-immaculate Draco was black and blue with bruises and covered in blood. His expression was strained and he looked as though he hadn't eaten for weeks, his whole body was trembling with the exertion of simply keeping himself from fainting.

Without even thinking Harry opened the window to let his rival in. Even if this was part of some kind of plot to kill him Harry doubted Draco would be in any position to hurt anyone at the moment. Draco gratefully collapsed through the window and landed in a heap on the bed before passing out. "Well!" said Harry, in an odd voice, "_Well._" He wasn't really sure what to do, before this moment he'd been sure he would kill Draco Malfoy on sight if he ever happened to bump into him, but this, this was different. In fact, now that he thought, really _thought_ about Draco Malfoy, perhaps he wasn't evil after all. _I was born the Hero when I didn't want it, Malfoy was just born the villain. That doesn't mean he's evil._ But then Harry reasoned, it didn't mean he _wasn't_ evil, it just meant he deserved a chance. Dumbledore would have given him a chance, Harry thought sadly, he had seen the good in Malfoy, had known he didn't want to kill. And he hadn't wanted to, he had cried, and in the end, he hadn't done it.

Harry had to fight back the urge to cast some healing charms on Malfoy since he was bleeding profusely all over Harry's sheets but he knew the Ministry would detect any magic he used and he couldn't take that risk. He could bandage him up though he pondered, before stopping himself. What was he thinking? Sitting there contemplating how best to bandage up his rival, a Death Eater. He needed answers before he would even think about healing Malfoy. He placed a tentative hand on the least bruised part of Malfoy's back and shook him lightly. "Wake up" he said sternly, "Wake up Malfoy, now. I mean it". Draco squinted at him through swollen eyes.

"Oh" he said. "Potter."

"Yes, me. What are you doing here? What happened to you?"

"Oh yes, that. Well, the thing with the… the thing… and I couldn't… what I mean to say is I didn't… well you know what. And they… they…he…" he broke off at this point and began to shake violently, squeezing his eyes closed. Harry stared at him incredulously and asked again, more softly this time;

"What did they do?"

"They… hurt me. Oh Merlin, oh it hurt… hurt so much… it hurts, it hurts"

"Well" said Harry again, "_Well_. I can see that. But… why are you here?"

"You… you were the only person who… wouldn't send me back to them. My mother…" he drew a deep shuddering breath, "She helped me… helped me to escape. I got out but I had nowhere to go, no one who would've helped me… except my mother and she… she… she's probably dead now. You were the only one I could think of, who might help."

"You want me to help you? _Me_?" Harry asked, stunned, but not cruelly. Draco didn't reply but made a small whimpering sound as he curled up in the fetal position, rocking back and forth. Harry thought he saw him nod into his knees.

Harry fought against the part of him that was telling to just bundle Draco up and carry him far away to somewhere no one could hurt either of them any more and forced himself to ask

"This isn't a trick? Some kind of Death Eater plan to ploy to trap me?"

These words seemed to bring Draco back to his senses,

"A _trick_? Do these look like a fucking _trick_ to you?" he shrugged off the ripped shirt, wincing to reveal his back which was practically in ribbons, he waved his twisted fingers in Harry's face,

"Do you think I would do _this_ to myself? How about this?" he asked pulling up his trouser leg to reveal a deep gash that ran the length of his calf. Harry recoiled, turning his face away from the horrible wound.

"Alright, alright, I believe you. It's not a trick". Although a small voice at the back of his mind that sounded suspiciously like Mad-Eye Moody was telling him that this could still be a trap there was truth in Malfoy's eyes, and Harry just had a _feeling_ that this was for real. Harry decided trusting his instincts had got him through some sticky situations in the past so he would just have to go with them on this one.

"OK." He said, nodding grimly "OK. I'll help you."

_Please please please review, I will honestly love you forever. Feedback is really important to me and too often people just put stories on their favourites or alert lists without making any comments, so please, take a little time out of your day to make me happy and hopefully a better writer!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"Stay there" instructed Harry as he left the room quietly. Draco sat in stunned silence. Harry Potter had agreed to help him, he was not going to die, well not in the near future anyway. He was sitting on Harry Potter's bed, in Harry Potter's house, bleeding all over the place and waiting for the Boy Wonder himself to come back and clean him up. He could not imagine an odder situation.

Harry returned holding a dripping sponge, a bowl of water and an armful of bandages. He seemed suddenly awkward, shifting from one foot to the other,

"Erm… you should probably… lie down or something… so I can…" he waved the sponge.

"What!? No! I need your help but I don't want you to… I'll do it myself" Harry looked more than a little exasperated.

"I knew you'd say that. Trust me, I don't want to be… _nursing_ you… any more than you want me to be" he perched on the edge of the bed and Draco grimaced and edged away from him a little "Just face it, you can't do it yourself, you don't bend that way. And besides, your fingers are broken." Draco grumbled acceptingly and moved to lie on his front.

"Alright" Harry mumbled, "Alright, right. Right, here goes"

"Just get on with it would you?" Draco muttered into the pillow. The next moment he felt the damp sponge pressing lightly on his back, Harry looked at him worriedly after his sharp intake of breath but Draco just nodded, teeth clenched.

"Go on".

Harry tentatively dabbed all the wounds on Draco's back, wiping the blood away before putting on a cold paste that made Draco hiss "You could have told me you were going to do that" but that apparently would make them heal faster. Once Harry had done his front, arms and legs too and bandaged up all his cuts he looked a lot like a mummy.

"Well that's all I can do for now since I can't use magic so I won't be able to heal your fingers." Draco attempted a grudging sort of smile but it came out more like a grimace.

"…Thank you"

"Excuse me?" Draco grimaced again,

"Don't make me say it again," Harry cracked a wry smile.

"Suit yourself. Right, you need to sleep I'd say, we haven't got a spare room. You can sleep in here."

"Won't those muggles go mental if they find me in here?"

"Ah yes…hmm." He snapped his fingers. "Got it! You can sleep under my invisibility cloak. I usually get up about this time anyway, they probably won't come in here… but just in case." He dug in his trunk and pulled out the silvery cloak, throwing it to Draco.

"Try and get some rest. I'll have to figure out what we're going to do." Draco nodded and settled down, tugging the cloak over him.

Harry wandered out of the room muttering to himself "Could ask the Order to protect him… no wait, damn, they still think he's a Death Eater… I could explain…they'd take some convincing." He couldn't help wishing Dumbledore was there, he would have known exactly what to do. Harry leaned heavily against the landing wall, sliding down onto the carpet with his head in his hands. He hadn't realised how much he relied on Dumbledore to keep him safe, to give him advice, to be there if anything went wrong. But now Dumbledore was gone and he would have to sort this one out on his own.

He came to the conclusion that it was best to expect the worst and set about packing an emergency bag. The Death Eaters were unlikely to think that Draco Malfoy would come _here_ of all places. But you never know. Harry tiptoed around his room, picking up t-shirts and parchment and blankets and an old sleeping bag he found at the bottom of his wardrobe. The invisibility cloak had slipped off and now Draco was most decidedly visible, apart from his arm but Harry hadn't got the heart to go and disturb him, apart from the fact that he would essentially be _tucking Malfoy in_ which was a fairly foul thought, he looked so peaceful and Harry reckoned he probably hadn't had much sleep in the past few weeks so he deserved this time at least.

Just as Harry was stuffing a few last things into his tatty old sports bag a tawny owl rapped demandingly on his window he reached out to take the letter and no sooner had he untied it the owl was gone. He recognised the Ministry's seal and opened the letter with shaking hands.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_Due to the unfortunate event of Albus Dumbledore's death the Ministry of Magic will be taking over the running of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The Ministry have received intelligence that in previous years your actions have lead the students to be in a state of almost constant worry and fear. The Ministry feels it is important for all students to feel safe and unthreatened in the learning environment and therefore you will be removed from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for the students' own wellbeing. You will be immediately taken into custody of the Ministry of Magic where Ministry officials will also have some questions relating to the death of Albus Dumbledore._

_Hoping you are well,_

_Yours sincerely,_

_Brian Hawkings_

_Department for Control of the Education of Young Witches and Wizards_

_Ministry of Magic_

Harry stood staring at the letter for several minutes after he had finished reading it, _you will be immediately taken into custody of the Ministry of Magic_… the words repeated over and over again in his brain, which kicked in moments later. He jumped to attention, grabbing the bag he had just packed and checking his wand in his pocket, he shook Malfoy a lot less gently than he had done earlier,

"Wake up! Wake up, wake up now! We have to go!" Draco stirred, and looked at him, startled,

"What, why? What's going on?"

"I'll explain later, come on, we're leaving, oh shit, you've got to get dressed, shit shit shit!" Harry flung clothes haphazardly at Draco,

"Here, shirt…jeans…jumper. Dress. Now. Quickly! We have to get out of here as soon as possible"

Draco noted the panic in Harry's voice and tugged the clothes on as quickly as he could without injuring himself. Draco had one arm in and one arm out of a jumper that was halfway over his head and Harry was cursing fluently under his breath when they heard the sharp crack of someone apparating downstairs. Then another, and another. They both froze, holding their breath. Then something smashed in the kitchen and the sound of a cruel laugh sounded through the house. Death Eaters, no doubt about it. Draco turned a shade paler and Harry's mouth set in a thin, determined line as he grabbed his wand and marched off down the hall. Draco made an uncertain move towards the door, as if to follow him, Harry flung an arm out to stop him, "No, you stay here, it's better if they don't know you're with me," the relief on Draco's face was obvious as he sank back down onto Harry's bed, but still he gripped his wand as tightly as he could with his broken fingers.

Harry tiptoed down the hall to his Aunt and Uncle's room and entered as quietly as possible. He shook his Uncle, "Uncle Vernon. Wake up." Vernon was about to shout when he noticed the look on Harry's face and fell silent. "There are some people downstairs who want to kill me, they'll kill you too if they get the chance, get Dudley, get out of here, as fast as you can". Vernon looked as though he was about to protest, he opened and closed his mouth a few times but then there was the sound of another smash and a menacing voice called "Come down Potter, we know you're up there, why don't you come down and play?" Vernon nodded and turned over to rouse Petunia.

Harry left the room without looking back, wondering if that was the last time he would see his only relatives. He made his way down the stairs, trying not to shake. His knuckles were white as he gripped his wand. He was almost relieved when he saw the Death Eaters Voldemort had sent to fetch him were Crabbe and Goyle, if they were anything like their sons they were decidedly nothing to worry up since even their enormous size did not compensate for their idiocy.

Their faces broke into identical wicked grins when they saw him standing in the doorway "Come out to play then Potter?" sneered Goyle, shooting a curse which sailed over Harry's shoulder. Harry faced the coolly, "Impedimentia!" he shouted as they started to advance towards him, he paused to think for a second while they were frozen and shot a quick shield charm in the direction of the stairs to protect Malfoy and the Dursleys, if they hadn't gotten out already. When Crabbe and Goyle started moving again Harry was ready for them "Stupefy" he shouted, the red jet of light hit Crabbe square in the chest and he slumped to the floor immediately, Harry turned to Goyle just as his opponent was yelling "Crucio!" Harry shouted "Perfectus totallus!" Goyle's limbs froze at his side, Harry flicked his wand and sent Goyle crashing to the floor next to Crabbe.

Harry sprinted back up the stairs, the Ministry would probably arrive in a minute and he needed to get himself and Draco out of there as soon as possible. He arrived back at his room to find Malfoy pacing back and forth, wringing his hands. He looked visibly relieved when Harry entered,

"Oh thank Merlin, I didn't know what to…"

"No time, we have to go, can you apparate?"

Draco looked incredulous, "Of course I…"

"Good" he grabbed Draco's arm with one hand and his bag with the other, "Let's go"

"But…where?"

"Anywhere…quick!" Draco frowned in concentration for a moment before turning on the spot and both boys disappeared with a loud crack.

_Thanks for reading! I've got the next chapter pretty much done but I'm going to wait for some more feedback before I post it, I'd really like to know what people think of it so far so please please please review! _


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning:** character death

**Chapter 3**

They appeared in a sunny glade on the side of a hill somewhere. They both collapsed to the ground, spluttering.

"I hate apparating" Harry muttered, brushing dust from his robes. "Where are we?"

"Erm…France. I used to come here on holiday. The house is over there" he gestured vaguely toward the other side of the hill "But I don't think we can stay in there, there are wards and… other things. I used to come out here when I wanted to be alone. It's about a mile away from the house, I think we'll be safe." Harry nodded approvingly.

"Good. I can heal you now, if you want"

"You know healing spells?" Draco looked mildly impressed. Harry blushed, "Yeah, just picked up a few things. That's what you get from spending a lot of time in the hospital wing I suppose."

"Ah I see. OK, well. Alright, yes, go on then." Draco sat down on a tree stump and Harry approached him cautiously as thought Malfoy was going to jump up and hit him at any moment. Draco held out his hands first and was surprised by the gentleness with which Harry took them "Episkey" he muttered. A strange warmth spread from Draco's fingers all the way down his arms, he wiggled his fingers experimentally,

"Wow, I didn't know if you could _really _do it", Harry looked a little offended

"Yeah well, I said I could didn't I? And I can."

"Alright alright. Can you do my back?"

"I think so, well, most of it anyway. I won't be able to do anything about your leg though, it's too deep. That's a magical wound isn't it?"

Draco nodded slowly, not meeting Harry's eye. Harry looked worried but didn't say anything more about Draco's leg. Draco shrugged off his shirt and turned around so Harry could heal his back, Harry murmured a few more spells and before long Draco's back was almost back to its usual pristine white state, but with a few deep cuts still marring the pale skin. Harry looked quite proud of himself but Draco was still looking sulky.

"Could you… can you do anything about my face?" Harry almost laughed at Draco's worried expression but stopped himself quickly.

"Easily enough, come here", Draco almost flinched at the softness of Harry's warm hand cupping his cheek but he forced himself to relax as Harry waved his wand over the purple bruises, he could feel them shrinking but he was concentrating more on the feel of Harry's hand on his face, the gentle way he moved his chin to get access to another bruise, the way the pad of his thumb brushed across his jawbone…

"There. All done."

Draco mentally shook himself, what an earth was he doing? Thinking how nice it was to have Potter touch his face? He was most definitely mad. Yes, mad, that was why. Nothing to do with the way Harry's hands were so warm and soft, or the way Harry had touched him more gently than anyone had done for Merlin knows how long.

"Am I beautiful again then?" Harry blushed, then laughed

"You'll do, you vain git." Draco attempted a scowl, but it turned into a reluctant smile at Harry's chuckles.

"Oh _excuse_ me for taking some pride in my appearance! Now are you going to tell me what happened before the Death Eaters came that got you in such a panic?" Harry's smile instantly faded, he passed Draco a piece of parchment from his pocket. Draco scanned it quickly, started, then read it again more quickly.

"They can't do that!"

"Well they are."

"Shit."

"I quite agree"

Later that evening the two boys sat facing each other across a patch of blue flames that flickered and smoked in the dim evening light. Harry peered through the smoke and distorted light at the other boy, Draco looked much older than17, even though Harry had healed his cuts and bruises his cheeks were still hollow and there were dark shadows under his eyes. The expression in those grey eyes was haunting, it was the look of someone who had seen too much and had been through things that no one should have to go through. Harry was about to stop himself feeling sorry for Malfoy before reasoning that Draco had not _asked_ to be part of the Dark Side, his father had made his choice for him, the same father who had let his son be tortured by Death Eaters, no one deserved that, at least Harry knew his parents had loved him.

Harry's head suddenly felt as though it was going to split in half, he fell to the ground clutching his scar. _He was in a stone dungeon with high ceilings, torches lit the walls, he heard that high cold voice "Lord Voldemort does not respond kindly to traitors Narcissa". That snake-like face turned to face a thin blonde woman cowering on the floor "Traitors deserve to be punished, don't you agree Lucius?" Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, head bowed wearing an expression of utter contempt for the woman before him, "I agree my Lord." Lord Voldemort's face twisted into a sardonic smile, "Then you shall have the honours Lucius. Kill her". Lucius flinched, but raised his wand nonetheless and pointed it had wife. "Goodbye Narcissa" she looked at him pleadingly but still he spoke the words "Avada Kedavra", a flash of green light and she lay crumpled on the floor._ Harry was jolted back to earth. He lay gasping, thinking about what he had just seen. Draco's mother was dead, he would have to tell him.

He opened his eyes to see Draco's pale face peering over him looking concerned,

"Are you er… OK? I mean… what was that, what happened?"

"I erm, I kind of… see things sometimes… I saw…" Harry trailed off, feeling desperately guilty for some reason,

"Voldemort…" Draco flinched, "Your father…"

Draco closed his eyes and sank to his knees. His head in his hands,

"He's killed her, hasn't he?" he asked in a choked voice, muffled through his fingers,

"…yes, I'm… I'm…"

Draco stood up, his eyes shining, "I have to…" he gestured uselessly,

"Yeah," Harry nodded, his voice thick, "OK,"

Draco looked at Harry for a second before striding off into the trees that surrounded the clearing where they had been sitting.

Draco stopped a short distance away, he could still see the blue light of the fire Harry had conjured. He sank down to the damp ground and pressed the heels of his hands to his stinging eyes, attempting to hold back the bitter tears. He let his hands drop to the dirty ground picking up handfuls of damp leaves and squeezing them so the earthy mulch dripped through his fingers. His mouth felt dry and sticky, there was a tight, painful bubble in his chest, he sat there for a long time, clenching and unclenching his muddy fists. He let out a shuddering breath he hadn't realised he was holding, the cold air stung his lungs and grated his throat, it was then that he let the hot tears course down his face, they felt as though they were scalding his icy cheeks. Draco Malfoy, once so proud, so regal was now a pitiful sight. He say in a pile of muddy leaves in someone else's too big clothes, skinny, dirty and defeated, crying his eyes out for the only person who had ever really loved him.

Harry sat next to the fire trying not to listen to the sound of Draco's pitiful sobs. After a while he heard the crying subside to a kind of breathy gulping and hiccoughing and then fade to silence. He stood determinedly, he was sure Draco would reject it but he felt like he should offer some kind of comfort. He called out into the gathering darkness,

"Erm, I'm going to come over now, if that's alright"

"Fine" came the muffled reply. Harry walked slowly, giving Draco time to collect himself, he spotted the pale figure hunched on the ground furiously wiping his face with the backs of his hands. Harry cleared his throat pointedly but Draco stayed facing in the other direction. Harry coughed again,

"Erm…Malfoy"

Draco hissed. "Don't call me that."

"…Draco?"

He grimaced "Ergh, don't call me that either"

"Well what the bloody hell am I supposed to call you then?"

"Nothing."

"What, you want me to call you Nothing?"

"No, don't be such an insufferable tit. Don't call me anything. Just leave me alone."

"No I came over because I just wanted to say…I felt like I should… I wanted to say…"

Harry opened and closed his mouth a few times while Draco looked up at him expectantly, he had come over here with good intentions, but no words. He couldn't say 'I'm sorry.' He knew better than anyone that 'I'm sorry' was the last thing you wanted to hear if you had lost someone. He was considering something along the lines of 'It was a terrible thing to happen' but Draco already knew that. He took in a gulp of air and tried again

"I just…" he trailed off again and settled for just laying what he hoped was a comforting hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco looked up at him incredulously, for a moment he looked as though he was about to laugh, but he stopped himself. His expression softened somewhat.

"It's alright Potter, you don't have to offer me any words of wisdom." Harry visibly relaxed

"Thank Merlin! But you do know that I-" Draco half smiled

"I know… I know. It's OK. You don't have to say anything I know that you… understand."

"Yeah, yeah I do." He patted Draco once more on the shoulder and wandered back towards the blue fire, his teeth worrying at his lower lip, wondering what on earth was going on.

**A/N: please review! It doesn't take long and it makes me happy! Dumbledore would want you to!**

**PS squee! for gay Dumbledore! I **_**knew**_** it!**


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